American Wild Ales

Westbrook & CBX: Rum Barrel Old Time

Westbrook Brewing (Mt Pleasant, SC) and one of the United State’s best beer stores The Charleston Beer exchange teamed up on a series of “Old Time” collaborations. Above, is Rum Barrel Old Time.  Rum  joins Funky Old Time, & Grumpy Old Time Continue Reading →

Posted in Beer News

NoDa & New Belgium Create Limited Funkaversary

NoDa New Belgium Funkaversary

NoDa Brewing (Charlotte, NC) is hard a work today bottling Funkaversary, a blended sour ale celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Charlotte’s Brawley’s Beverage. It is that decade long commitment to craft beer that has made the Charlotte beer scene thrive.

To celebrate, NoDa Brewing and New Belgium blended two very special beers together to create Funkaversary. NoDa’s contribution is Monk’s Trunk,a Belgian style pale ale they aged in a Chardonnay barrel for a year.  That beer was blended with New Belgium’s sour ale Felix.  There will be only about 500 bottles produced. The brewery tells BSJ it is quite, quite tasty. (no sh!t?)

Style: American Wild Ale (Partially Chardonnay Wine Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750ml bottles
Arrival: 5/10/13

6.4% ABV

If you go:

Brawley’s Beverage – 5/10/13
Bottles on sale, 7 pm. 4 bottle limit. $10  

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

The Latest Allagash Coolship Drops on May 18th

Allagash Coolship Barrel One

Allagash Brewing (Portland, ME) has room separate from the main brewhouse that contains a coolship, which is literally looks a bit like a bathtub. It allows airborne yeast to fall into the beer, spontaneously fermenting the beer. These funky beers are referred to as the Coolship Series.  Above Single Barrel One. Aged in bourbon barrels.

Style: American Wild Ale (Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 12.7 oz bottles
Arrival: 5/18/13

8.1% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Avery Brewing, Coming Soon, New Releases

Avery Barrel Aged Release 14: Volunt Plus Erat

Next up in Avery Brewing’s (Boulder, CO) Barrel Aged Series – is Volunt Plus Erat. The follow up to Odio Equum, this sour ale is brewed with cabernet franc grape must, and aged for 14 months in neutral zinfandel barrels. A neutral barrel means the oak will impart little to no oak flavor to the beer/wine. Cabernet Franc grape must is fresh pressed grape juice, that contains the skin, juice, seeds, etc.

No 14 and by complete coincidence, aged to perfection for 14 months in neutral Zinfandel barrels. The time necessary for our culture of lactobacillus and pediococcus to fulfill their portion of the workload- to create massive amounts of subtler lactic acid and acetic acid to interplay with the fruity Cabernet Franc grape must

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Grape Must, Barrel Aged. Wine Barrel)
Availability: 12oz bottles. Tap Room Release
Arrival: Star Wars Day, 2013. (May 4)

9.57% ABV

Volunt Plus Erat translates from Latin to “Wish there was more” 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Boulevard Brewing, New Releases, Videos

Boulevard Love Child #3 Hits Tuesday, April 23rd


Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City, MO) releases Love Child #3 this Tuesday, April 23rd. The “Love” series features barrel aged funky beers for your funky/sour drinking needs.

Oak barrels were used to age the majority of beer used for Love Child No. 3–with beer aged from 16 months to nearly six years. Another portion of the beer spent 11 months in stainless tanks, souring on Lactobacillus. While very tart, the sourness is short-lived and the beer finishes dry with a trace of oak.

Style: American Wild Ale (Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750 ml bottles, Corked & Caged
Arrival: 4/23/13.

9.5% ABV, 13 IBUs

Note: You’ll see 750’s outside of Missouri. All markets according to the brewer… Supply is limited… 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Bruery

The Bruery Adds Peaches to Sour in the Rye

The Bruery Sour in the Rye Peach

A fruitier version of Sour in the Rye? Sour is an yearly release by The Bruery, a rye beer that spends more than a year funking up in an oak barrel. In a new 2013 twist, the brewery is adding peaches and nectarines to the barrel.

Deliciously sour, bursting with spicy rye notes and hints of oak fro the barrels aged within.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Peaches, Nectarines, Oak Aged)
Availability: 750ml bottles
Arrival: TBA

7% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Westbrook Brewing Co

Westbrook & CBX: Rum Barrel Old Time

Westbrook Rum Barrel Old Time

Westbrook Brewing (Mt Pleasant, SC) and one of the United State’s best beer stores The Charleston Beer exchange teamed up on a series of “Old Time” collaborations. Above, is Rum Barrel Old Time.  Rum  joins Funky Old Time, & Grumpy Old Time in this series of collaborations between the two.

The base beer “Old Time” is a Belgian style dark ale brewed in July, 2011. It was then added to rum barrels. So for nearly a year and a half, various wild yeasts.  Look for bottles and draft soon.(Draft may already be around)

Style: American Wild Ale (Barrel Aged, Rum)
Availability: 750 ml Bottles, Draft
Arrival: TBA

11% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Westbrook Brewing Co

Westbrook & Charleston Beer Exchange: Grumpy Old Time

Westbrook Grumpy Old Time

Westbrook Brewing (Mt Pleasant, SC) and one of the United State’s best beer stores The Charleston Beer exchange teamed up on a series of “Old Time” collaborations. Above, is Grumpy Old Time.  Grumpy joins Funky Old Time, in this series of collaborations between the two.

The base beer “Old Time” is a Belgian style dark ale brewed in July, 2011. It was then added to apple brandy barrels. So for nearly a year and a half,  Grumpy Old Time has been funking out with some wild yeasts.  Look for bottles and draft soon. (Draft may already be around)

Style: American Wild Ale (Brandy Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750 ml Bottles, Draft
Arrival: TBA

11% ABV

by Reid Ramsay